Planning

See our Planning 101 course.

• the protection of resource land and natural areas;
• the location of housing, community facilities, commercial offices and industrial activities; and
• the need for essential services such as water supply, sewage disposal, roads, and parks.

The Official Plan basically says what should go where and why and sets out strategies and actions to be taken or promoted, and priorities that must be considered when making decisions about land use.

The Zoning and Development Bylaw provides for the day-to-day implementation of the Official Plan. It contains the requirements that must be met for land use and development to occur in the Town as well as the processes that the Town uses when dealing with applications. For instance, the Zoning and Development Bylaw addresses matters such as:

• the types of land uses and development permitted or restricted in a certain location (zoning);
• the standards that apply to each type of land use and development permitted (lot standards);
• the criteria to consider different types of applications for land use or development (other development standards, subdivision requirements); and
• the processes and requirements according to which applications are assessed.

The Zoning and Development Bylaw essentially says how different uses are managed and how land is developed.

Other aspects of the community may be regulated through other Town bylaws, including building code, property maintenance, animal control, noise and nuisance and more.

• See our Shape Stratford document library
• The Town of Stratford | Recent Planning Decisions
• The Town of Stratford | Planning FAQ’s